“What about you? How did you end up with Toran?”
“These aliens—Toran called them Tureis—invaded my planet and kidnapped me.”
Theon sits straight up, “What?”
“Yep, he rescued me and Alan.”
“Did they… did they hurt you?”
She shrugs. “They drugged me, so I don’t remember a lot.”
“You do not know what they planned to do?”
She stares briefly at the ground before leveling her gaze on him. “No offense, but I would rather talk about something other than my time as a prisoner.”
Clearly, she is uncomfortable talking about this, so Theon drops it. “What would you like to talk about?”
“I don’t know. You’re really the first person who’s talked to me since I arrived.”
“You are unhappy here?”
“If I am destined to live a life of solitude, I plan to do it up here in the sunshine, not squirreled away in a sunless room.”
“Squirreled?” he furrows his brow.
“It means that I am not going back to the Commons,” she huffs with a hefty stare.
Theon ponders her declaration, trying to come up with a solution suitable for everyone. All the females live in the Commons where they can be better protected. Letting Catalina fall into the hands of the Northern Clan makes something tighten within his gut. His fist balls tightly before he quickly releases it, wiggling his fingers to reduce the tension.
He needs to think of a solution, one they can both agree upon, but nothing readily comes to mind. “What do you propose?”
Catalina huffs. “Nothing. It’s my choice, not yours. There is no vote, and you do not have a say in my decision. I’m staying up here where the air is fresh, the sun is warm, and the lake is refreshing.”
Still hoping to deter her, he cocks his head to the side and asks, “And food? What will you do for food?”
Getting to her feet, she stretches her arms over her head and yawns. The form-fitting pants and blue shirt flatter her lithe body. Looking down at him, she smiles. “I’m hungry, and I want real food. Is there anything to hunt around here?”
His eyes widen in surprise. “You hunt?”
With a cheeky smile, she says, “Today, I do.”
He watches intently as she pulls an object out from under the cloth. “What is that?” he cocks his head to the side and studies the strange shape.
“This,” she holds up the object for his inspection, “is a bow. And these,” she pulls two long slender objects from the pack, “are arrows. What do you hunt with?”
He grins wickedly, pulls out a long knife with a jagged edge, and holds it up. “This.”
“It looks deadly enough, but I don’t want to get that close to a wild animal.” He watches as she places the arrows in a quiver, then slings it over her shoulder. “Ready to hunt?”
Every bone in his body screams at him to protect her, to provide for her, and to not let her place herself in any danger. But studying the female, Catalina, he clenches his jaw tight to keep the words from tumbling from his lips. She may be slight in stature, but she is strong in will.
The best thing he can do—the smart thing—is to go with her. Protect her and keep her from harm. It is his duty. With her dark eyes waiting for an answer, he nods.
“Oh, wait!” She lays the weapon on the cloth before she searches through her pack. Bringing out a small circular object, her face stretches in a smile. “I don’t want my hair to get in the way.”
With quick, precise movements, she threads her long, slender fingers through her hair, weaving the strands in an intricate pattern. When she finishes, she places the circular object around the end of her strands, securing them in place.
Staring at the beautiful design, he steps closer, his fingers lightly touching the braid. Her breath quickens and comes out in shallow pants. The ridges on his forehead tingle, and he swallows hard before dropping his hand and taking a quick step back.
“Ready now?”
“Yes.” Her voice sounds different, unsure, as she grabs her weapon.
As they walk, he can feel her gazing at him from the corner of his eyes. Especially when she thinks he is unaware.
“What kind of animals are we looking for?”
“There are several that we kill for food. My favorite is a garr.”
“Why is that?”
He shrugs one shoulder. “It is a worthy adversary that provides a lot of food. There are other animals that are smaller, but you would have to kill a lot of them to feed the males who live topside.”
Theon can tell she is trying to understand their way of life. How different her planet must be!
“Why don’t they go to the caves at night and use the replicators?”
One side of his mouth tips upward. “Most of them do. But there are a select few who remain in the topside Commons.” When she opens her mouth to speak again, Theon playfully tugs on the end of her hair. “If you continue to speak, you will warn all the wildlife of our presence.”
“Sorry,” she mumbles as the two of them focus on their surroundings.
10
____________________
Catalina
Catalina walks silently beside Theon, sneaking glances when she thinks he isn’t looking. His skin reminds her of Earth’s sky, his hair a mixture of long white and golden strands. Hard muscles ripple with every movement. But what makes her breath hitch, her heart beat rapidly, are his dark eyes with flames of amber, making him appear majestic. They are mesmerizingly beautiful, and she can easily lose herself staring into them.
Walking quietly beside him, her mind drifts back to earlier. When she first woke up, it took her a few minutes to remember where she had fallen asleep. Everything looked similar to Earth, or what she imagined Earth would have looked like a thousand years ago. Untouched by man and machines.
The colors on Curaz are slightly off, but not by much. Instead of red, green, orange, and yellow leaves, they are red and orange with the occasional pink. The sun is more orange than yellow, and the temperature hotter than Catalina is used to.
She walks quietly beside Theon, the sweat dripping from her brow. It has to be at least one-hundred and ten degrees, and the day has just begun.
They walk silently over dark greenish-blue grass, and after searching the ground with curiosity, she asks, “Where are the rocks?”
He glances down at her with a furrowed brow. “What do you mean?” he whispers, trying not to scare the animals away.
“How do they get light down below if there are no rocks to absorb the light?”
He scoffs. “Toran gave you the short, very simple version. It is much more complicated than that.”
“Oh…”
Loud steps sound to their right. Theon grabs her arm, effectively halting her steps and her words.
She listens with exhilaration as she slowly nocks an arrow. Theon clutches his knife by the hilt and slowly changes directions, heading toward the noise.
In the distance, she can see the animal clearly, and the first thing that pops into her mind is a bear. It has a few differences, but the size reminds her of a grizzly she’s seen on the Discovery Channel.
“Wait here,” Theon whispers before heading to a hiding spot.
Catalina spares him an irritated glance before focusing on the animal once again. Everything in her demands that she show Theon that she is capable, even if the other females are not.
Standing to her full height with only a little bend in her knees, Catalina squares her shoulders and lifts the bow. Taking a deep breath, she aims at the animal and patiently waits on the right shot.
As soon as the animal spots her, it stands on its hind legs and roars, a terrifying sound. Her heart quickens when she sees the animal’s massive height. Everything happens quickly. She hears Theon as he barrels toward the animal. Catalina lets out a deep breath, aims at the center of the garr’s chest, and lets the arrow sail through the air.
The animal comes dow
n hard, landing on its feet, staggering before it falls to the ground.
Catalina blows out a shaky breath and runs her fingers over the top of her head. Turning toward a stunned Theon, she chuckles nervously. “I’ve always been a good shot, even if I’ve never killed anything before.” She hopes he sees confidence, and not how surprised she is that she took down the animal as she dances around in small circles with a grin on her face.
He stands slack-jawed, looking from the animal to her, and then back to the animal before heading over to where she stands.
“And what do you think you’re doing?”
“My victory dance,” she finishes, coming to a halt in front of him. “I’m an expert shot. I know what types of arrowheads are the deadliest, but I’ve never actually killed anything before. Wow!” she smiles widely up at his stunned face. “I knew I could survive on my own.”
Theon crosses his arms. “Do you know how to dress the animal?”
The smile Catalina sported disappears. What is his problem? Does she know how to field dress an animal? It couldn’t be that hard. She’s seen it done enough times in the past, and being a nurse, she knows a thing or two about layers of skin and small incisions.
Holding out her hand, she says, “Give me your knife.”
He stands unmoving until he reluctantly hands it over.
“Actually, hold onto it for a moment.”
She walks over to the animal and tries to roll it over onto its back. It is too heavy. She pushes with her hands, and when that doesn’t work, she puts her back against the animal and pushes with her legs. It still won’t budge.
Theon lets out a loud, boisterous laugh.
Catalina turns, and with her hands on her hips, she blows a strand of hair from her face. “It’s not funny!”
Theon walks over with a light-hearted smile. Every time he gets that easy look on his face, her heart pounds in her chest. When he gently sweeps the lone loose strand away from her face, her heart flutters. “It is a little funny,” he says in a gentle voice as he cups her cheek in the palm of his hand.
Catalina’s insides quiver with the gentle contact as she stares into his warm eyes. For that one moment, that sliver of time, she lets herself think about the future. The way he makes her feel when he is near, his touch that ignites something foreign deep inside—she can easily see herself falling for him, and she doesn’t know if that’s a good or bad thing to do. They have just met, and she doesn’t know what he’s capable of. But she likes him immensely.
Not knowing how to handle the feelings he evokes with his touch or the fire that makes her core clench, she takes a step back and tries to use humor to lighten the intense moment. “Okay, it’s a little funny.”
“It is,” he says, still holding her gaze. Letting out a deep breath, he continues, “If you can start a fire, I will dress the garr.”
Still staring at his strong face, holding his gaze, Catalina is too shaken up after that intimate moment, and she doesn’t argue. With a quick nod, she goes straight to work.
~~~~
“Wow, this is really good,” Catalina says as she licks the juices running down her fingers. “It’s naturally sweet.”
She looks up and smiles when she catches him staring. In a strained voice, he says, “I am glad you are enjoying it. Garr is one of my favorites.” He flashes her a strained smile before taking another bite, leaving her to wonder what is wrong.
Shaking her head slightly, she continues, “It is much better than that brownie I tried to replicate, that’s for sure.”
As they finish their meal in silence, Catalina realizes with a start, It’s hot! She swallows hard and licks her lips. How did they stand this smoldering heat?
Theon sees her reaction. He hands her a container filled with water. “Thanks.” She accepts the container and chugs the water. It helps some, but the heat of the day combined with the small fire has sweat dripping from everywhere. Her shirt and hair are drenched, and she knows she smells like a goat.
After swallowing her last bite, Catalina uses her hand to fan herself. “I need to cool off.”
Theon’s gaze roams her body. “You are not used to this heat.”
“Nope, at least not yet.” She stands, pulling her braid to the top of her head, letting her neck and underarms breathe. “Does it get much hotter than this?”
Theon jumps to his feet and uses the side of his boot to rake dirt on the fire and smother the flames. “No, this is as hot as it gets. And only every now and then.”
With one hand holding the back of her hair up, the other fanning her face, Catalina grimaces. “That doesn’t make any sense.”
“It only gets this hot when a storm is approaching.”
“A little rain would feel good right now.”
“Rain…I do not know this word. But our storms do not feel good, or bad.”
“Hmm… Do I have time to go for a swim before the storm gets here?”
Theon looks toward the sky briefly and then nods. “But we cannot tarry too long. The meat will ruin quickly, and I need to get it back to the Commons to cure.”
“You go ahead. I’m not going back there.” The last thing she wants is to face Tarra and her gang of troublemakers. The past week felt like high school all over again with the looks, snickers, and cold shoulders. No thanks.
Theon sighs loudly and rubs the back of his neck. “Let us compromise.”
“I’m listening.” Catalina cocks her head to the side. She likes being around Theon, likes talking to him, hunting with him. His company makes everything more enjoyable, and she isn’t in any hurry to be alone.
“It is my duty to protect you…”
“Excuse me?” She cuts him off, her chest heaving in frustration, a hurt-filled reaction that seizes her in an instant. His duty to protect her? She snorts hastily and averts her eyes. If that’s his sole purpose for hanging around her, then he can leave. She will be just fine on her own.
“It is what we train for. We protect everyone, especially the females.”
Catalina’s jaw clenches, her lips thin, but her voice comes out sugary sweet. “Then don’t worry about me, I’m not one of your females.”
She stomps off, knowing she is acting childish, but it is better than Theon seeing her glossy eyes. For him to lump her in with the other females, a common group… she thought that maybe she might be special. It was stupid, but she thought there was a mutual connection.
Back at the lake, she jerks off her clothes and throws them on the ground like any child throwing a tantrum would do. Any other time, she would worry about her nudity, but not now. She is too hot, too angry, and too hurt. She misses Alan. She misses home. At least there she had a job and could help people. Here, she has no purpose, no friends, no one to talk to.
In a quick move, she dives head first into the refreshing water. When she pops up, the water laps at her neck, cooling her off and providing much-needed relief. She lets out a startled scream when she opens her eyes to Theon standing right in front of her, everything bare above the water.
With her hand on her chest, she chastises him. “You scared me!”
He grabs her shoulders, not letting her get away. “Do not run away from me.” He scolds her the way a parent would scold a child.
“I didn’t run, I walked…fast.” She averts her eyes, feeling ashamed. Running away is not her style.
“Catalina, look at me.” When she lifts her eyes, he continues, “I do not know how things worked on your planet, but you are not there anymore. You are on Curaz.”
She bites her lower lip to keep it from quivering. He’s right, she isn’t on Earth any longer.
“The Southern Clan protects the females so the Northern Clan cannot steal them away. Do you have any idea what they would do to you there?”
She shakes her head; her arms wrap around her body. She isn’t sure she wants to know. “Do they do that often? Steal them away?”
“No, thank the goddess. I cannot imagine what they would do to one of ou
r females.”
She hesitates, and then asks, “What do you mean?”
“We give the females freedom to choose who they wish to have bed sport with. The Northern Clan does not.”
Her eyes widen in horror. “Oh…” Thoughts of the poor women having to sleep with someone they didn’t want… Her legs tremble slightly as her mind shuts off all images. She doesn’t want to think about it, she doesn’t want to believe that societies like this world also exist on other planets, like they do in some places on Earth.
“Do you understand? It is my duty to protect the females.”
“I don’t want to live down there.” Her eyes glance toward the ground.
“I know.” Theon grabs Catalina’s upper arm and tugs her forward. When she’s close enough, he wraps her in a warm embrace.
His hand on her lower back ignites a fire deep inside, making her core clench tightly. Her heart leaps and then pounds erratically as she momentarily holds her breath to focus on his touch, the warmth of his hand, his hard chest against the arms that cover her breasts. She doesn’t hug him back.
Theon takes a quick step back so he can gaze into her eyes. She immediately misses his touch. It has been so long since she’s felt the intimate touch of a man of any race.
“As I was saying before, how about a compromise?”
“What do you suggest?” Her mind is still swirling in wanton desire.
“How about you stay with me?”
The sound of her beating heart echoes in her ears. She can feel it pulsing in her neck. To lighten the mood, she steps back with a dramatic flair and says in the most proper Southern voice, “Theon, I have just met you, and I am not that kind of girl.”
“What?” His mouth twists in confusion.
“Nothing,” she waves away her attempt to be funny. “It means that I’m not having sex with you.”
“Sex…” his eyebrows pull close in confusion, “you mean bed sport?”
“Yes.”
His face lights with a smile, and he crosses his arms. “I was not asking.”
Heat rushes up her neck, staining her cheeks. “Oh…good then,” she huffs, clearly frustrated as she turns partially away from him.
Theon Untamed: First Contact (Untamed World Book 1) Page 7
